Men Without Masks – The Power of Circles

circles from the air on the landscape

The Power of Circles.

Would you like to experience group communication that elicits non-reactivity, the practice of deep listening, and the capacity for each member to be heard fully without being interrupted? This is possible with circles.

Have you ever sat in a complete circle together with others?

I don’t mean a circular table or a circle of desks.

I don’t mean a circle of chairs with a leader at the helm.

I mean a circle with no tables, no desks, no boundaries, just people sat facing each other in presence.

Circles, sometimes known as talking circles, peace-making circles, and heart circles have been part of human existence since the beginning of time and are deeply rooted into the traditional practices of indigenous people. Symbolically, the circle represents completeness, wholeness, unity, oneness, strength, and original perfection. Circles have had many uses within communities and groups, including: Peace-making, healing, general discussion, education, sharing problems, problem solving, sharing gifts, as a supportive tool, for entertaining and celebrating, and for prayer, contemplation and silence.

Circles represent an equality that allows no leader but rather a line of symmetry where everyone holds the same attention, respect and stature whilst defining a strength that’s unified for the participants. When meetings at the office or on the sports pitch end up in circles, this is not a random option that ‘just happens’ but an intuitive way of bringing people together so that each member can be seen and heard.

circles

I believe that circles provide a massive value in today’s society. I have used circles in my previous roles as a high-performance sports mentor, as teams naturally form into circles or semi-circles within this realm, so it made sense for me to incorporate the circles’ power in the Men Without Masks program.

To experience the benefits of circles, there is no point talking about its theory. There is a huge difference between thinking and doing or being part of a real-life circle. If I described the experience I will ultimately fall short, in that if there was a way for me to replicate the experience in writing, photos and video, then they wouldn’t need to exist, but they don’t replicate well when recorded or translate well to written reviews. It’s one thing to experience a sunset but the jury is still out as to if art, music, poetry and word can do it justice! Now I am not saying my Circle work is as magnificent as a sunrise or sunset, but you get the point I am trying to make – you have to feel it first hand to appreciate the experience.

Circles are just a small part of the Men’s Retreat and I work with many other elements that I’ll serialise on more blogs as I try to give you a teaser of why my events often sell out quickly and why I have been humbled by the reviews I have been receiving from grateful men that have attended. Click the image below to find out more about the MWM Events we have coming up.

***** 5 Star Average Review – out of 5!

“If you have the courage to know yourself at a deeper level, Craig White is the man for you. Thanks for the awareness and the connection you gave us. Wish you all the best in your mission.”

“Craig is doing something very special with the retreats he offers, he’s giving a much needed initiation into manhood that long time ago was given by our elders and that today is so hard to find.”

“I have been on a few of Craig’s men’s coaching retreats and I can honestly say it’s amazing and changed my life in so many ways, the confidence I got and the space I created it feels so good and like I said life changing. I met some amazing guys that I can say I have more brothers in my life 😊, overall experience 5 . Much love 🙏🙏🙏🙏

 

men without masks retreat - click for more

 

A GATHERING OF MEN – A short poetic journey through a men’s circle

The circle is prepared

A sense of sacredness prevails

Stillness, silence, potential, wisdom

A space fit for kings

 

The men start to arrive

One by one they sit in silence

Like jewels covered in dust

Light shining through darkness

 

The last man arrives

A jigsaw of immense wisdom is formed

A gaze between brothers occurs

The sealer is contained safely

 

The circle symbolizes wholeness and unity

A symbol of oneness, original perfection

Together we are stronger, wiser

As one we can finally conquer demons

 

We acknowledge our forefathers

The one’s who went before us

For they carry our lineage as men

And we carry their souls

 

The circle is opened, the sharing begins

Men drop down from head to heart

Compassion dripping from each man

A doorway to a deep yearning

 

A circle of mirrors appears for each man

There is nowhere to hide

Each mirror a reflection back to the inside

Each mirror a gift from the Divine

 

An uncomfortable charge appears in my gut

What is this man reflecting back to me

Is it my dark side I don’t want others to see

Is it my greatness I’ve have been told to supress

 

My shadow is exposed and brought to the light

I can close, contract, run away, hide

But I decide to open, smile, acknowledge the gift

Immediately I am free, I can breath, stillness returns

 

We talk about the light, we talk about the dark

We talk about the past, we talk about our fears

We pour our hearts into the circle, into the magic

We free our souls for the benefit of others

 

We laugh, we cry, we sing, we are silent

Men cultivating authentic love for other men

What a wonderful site, a wonderful blessing

A great event in a world of darkness

 

The circle naturally comes to an end

All men are complete

Each man leaves with a greater sense of wisdom

A greater sense of life

 

He turns away and leaves for his home

Each person he passes feels his compassion

A man full of love, a man full of light

A man who makes a difference

By | 2018-03-28T09:13:18+00:00 March 27th, 2018|Blog|Comments Off on Men Without Masks – The Power of Circles